Sic Semper Tyrannis
by AquaRock
Summary: A new king is crowned in a shady planet in the Solana Galaxy, spelling trouble for the rest of the galaxy. The kingdom's prince must join forces with Ratchet and Clank in order to defeat this new menace...
1. Chapter 1

Fireworks blasted in the starry night sky, sending an aura of elation about the inhabitants below. The air felt cool on the people's fur as a gentle breeze brushed against their skin. Children chased each other on the sidewalks of the streets as they held action figures of the newest celebrity in town. News reporters and civilians alike crowded around the king's palace as they awaited the arrival of who would be the next king of the planet.

This planet was entirely inhabited by wolf-like creatures called Lycanians that walked on two legs, wore clothes, and had five-fingered hands and four-toed feet. Humanoid, you could say about them. They came in a variety of colors, backgrounds and personalities. It was a planet that had variety and uniformity in the populace simultaneously. These creatures were in the planet known as Lycania, set in the Solana Galaxy. The planet had around ten large countries inside it. It worked out, surprisingly, with the previous leader, known as Cedric Sang, leading the country named Tregsen. He ruled the country in a firm manner, but also with fairness and integrity. Two weeks prior to the crowning of the new king, he died of cancer at the age of 53. In his will, he left all of his property to his two children, both sons. Cedric never had any wives, but he had a few mistresses, with the use of one of them producing his sons. His sons were named Geronimo and Rafael Sang. They were the same only by blood, having the same mother and father. Geronimo was a black wolf possessing blue eyes and a white tip on his tail and a white spot over his right eye. Rafael was slightly taller, being the older brother, and he had ginger-colored fur with purple eyes, with green spots over both eyes and a grey spot on his chest. As much as they were different aesthetically, they were different personality-wise. Rafael took his royal bloodline seriously, and for the longest time, that was all he dreamed of doing. Commanding his own army to do what he wished, an entire populace to do what he wished, and a line of mistresses for him to "do" when he wished. In the public eye, he was seen as a charismatic, attention-loving fellow with a heart of gold. Geronimo, on the other hand, couldn't care less about his royal lineage. He never wanted to be king. He never found a good reason to. He never thought of himself as leader material. In fact, if he wasn't born into a royal bloodline, he'd probably be happier with that, since the royals were always publicized in whatever they did. You could barely eat microwave pizza rolls without somebody in the press knowing! Geronimo didn't hate people in general, just nosey people that got into his business. And all the girls he met while his father was reigning over the land only showed interest in him for his money and regal publicity. It was these types of women that made Geronimo sick. So, he almost couldn't find anything positive about being a prince. Almost.

Being part of the central government meant that he had access to special weapons at all times. He would carry an N60 Storm on him at all times and say it was for "protection if needed," but in reality, he just liked to blow stuff up in the firing range. He also had access to some of the best spacecraft in the country, with them having the power to go anywhere in the Solana Galaxy and beyond. But, those were the only advantages he could see.

Okay, now back to the story. In front of the white palace, there was a stage set up with numerous metal chairs around it. All the stage lights shone on the people that were on stage. There was Cedric's royal advisor, Ed, who would give the crown to none other than Rafael, on request of Cedric himself. There was Rafael's mother, Regina, along with many other people who had ties with the Tregsen Crown. All of them were prepared to give speeches congratulating Rafael's crowning as king of Tregsen. There was just one person missing. Can you guess who it was?

Regina, a middle-aged Lycanian with red eyes and blue fur, dashed off the stage to find her other son. Knowing him for over twenty years gave her knowledge of where in the palace Geronimo might be, and why he wouldn't be at the crowning ceremony. She entered the palace, went a few floors up, turned right, then left, and opened the door. She saw a wolf laid back in his computer chair, listening to rap music on his stereo, casually hitting a paddleball back and forth.

Disgusted by the sight of this, Regina said, "Don't you know what day it is, Geronimo?" The sudden sound of her voice made Geronimo lose concentration and missed his next swing. He groaned, as he was only a few hits away from beating the Tregsen paddleball record.

"Oh, no, don't tell me. Hump day?" Geronimo snarked. Regina rolled her eyes.

"It's the day of your brother's crowning, Geronimo. I thought I told you to attend it. You have a speech to give, after all."

"Oh, Rafael's getting the crown? I thought it was something important."

"It _is _important. Getting a new king is important enough, but having a close family member get the crown? You should feel honored to be able to call your brother a king. In fact, if you're lucky, he may appoint you to be his royal advisor," Regina answered. Geronimo stood up from his chair and stretched. Regina could see the bored, mordant look in his eyes, much to her chagrin. She always knew that he didn't care for government affairs, and she knew even more that her two sons didn't get along too well, but she thought that with something like this, Rafael and Geronimo would be able to put their differences behind them and work together in something.

Geronimo, though, only put his hands up and made air quotes with his fingers as he said "'If I'm lucky.' Well, with all due respect, if I was lucky in anything, I wouldn't have to deal with that no-good, two-faced, arrogant son of a..." He cut himself off there. This was his brother he was talking about. "...you. But, let me be clear, Mom. I don't blame you or Dad for producing him or anything. I just ask that you don't request me to do anything for him. If I'm appointed royal advisor, then I'll relinquish my position and give it to another sucker. I'm not going to his crowning ceremony." He moved closer to his mother. "And I'm sure as heck not doing a speech for him."

Regina reached for Geronimo's hand and held it in a motherly way. "Then do it for me. Please, that's all I request. I don't care what you talk about, as long as it's within reason. What, are you nervous to have millions of people staring at you as you speak? You're a great orator, that became apparent when you and I just want you to show your talent. Use it or lose it, right?"

"Naw, Mom. I don't care about people staring at me if I was giving a speech. I don't feel nervous about stuff like that. No, it's doing anything for Rafael that grinds my gears. I mean, think about it. He never congratulated me for anything I've done well. However, when I used to congratulate him, he always shot down my words of praise with arrogance! And, also, Mom, he never treated me well in general, and I've tried telling you guys for years. But, you never listened to me. So, that's why I don't tell you and didn't tell Dad anything anymore." Geronimo sighed, a pained expression in his eyes. He hung his head for a while before he continued. Regina put her hand on Geronimo's shoulder. "But, for you, and only for you, Mom, I will give a speech."

Regina grinned and hugged her son. "Thank you, Geronimo. You have no idea what good you'll be doing the people tonight." Happy to have made his mom happy, Geronimo smiled as he hugged his mom back. He smiled even harder when he thought of exactly what to say about Rafael when he was called to the podium...

. . .

"Our last speaker for tonight will be Rafael's brother, Geronimo!" Ed, a white wolf with blue eyes proclaimed. The crown had already been passed to Rafael, and he wore the crown along with a smug smile which ticked Geronimo off. Nonetheless, he shook his contemptuous feelings toward his brother and walked up to the wooden podium. The crowd stared at Geronimo with excitement, as most of the people there had heard his eulogy given at Cedric Sang's funeral. The people thought his writing and delivery was phenomenal. They couldn't wait to hear what literary mastery would be emitted from Geronimo.

Geronimo was given a small slip of paper that gave suggestions of positive things to say about Rafael, made by Regina. For his mother's sake, he would try to use all of them, but for his sanity's sake, he would improvise the rest of the speech.

The Lycanian strolled to the podium and tapped the microphone with his finger. Mild feedback was the result, so he began.

"So, my brother is named king, eh? Well, let me be one of the first to give a sarcastic, forced, and slow clap of applause in his honor," Geronimo began, and followed up with clapping of a sluggish pace. This caused a wave of confusion to the Lycanians watching. "As his brother, I would know many things about him, much to my chagrin."

A good chunk of the audience started laughing. Rafael made no change in his smug expression at the snark.

"Let's see, what are some positive things about your new king? Well, he definitely has some leader-like qualities. Being the big brother, he tried very hard to make me his slave to do everything he wanted." More laughter ensued. "He also has a way with words. I think both of us had gotten it from our father. With Rafael, he could keep feeding an entire populace lies about his own personality and look like the charismatic, aristocratic, charming and disarming person we all see today. In reality, he is a greedy, dishonest, arrogant Lycanian that is now your king. You wanted this ma-lover to be king? You should have been careful of what you wished for. But, nonetheless, here he is. However, the icing on the cake, the creme de la creme of this new king's qualities, is the boorish nature held within him. With this, he will make sure to rule with an iron fist, making sure that nobody commits crimes and gets away with it, and also does away with anybody he doesn't like. Expect a lot of warfare and contention with other countries, pimps! And, as a bilingual bonus, esperemos reinado de este rey es de corta duración. Geronimo out." Then, he walked off the stage, feeling proud of himself. He needed to let off some steam about his brother that had been held in him for twenty years. Now, he got rid of it, in a large scale.

He walked through the night atmosphere and traveled back to the palace, still leaving the crowd in front of the palace in a state of silent shock. This was the person that the press regarded as the next greatest king to ever rule the country of Tregsen. They certainly didn't expect a speech of such magnitude and such gall to slander the new king like that, especially not after many highly positive orations given to him before. But, Geronimo knew that the people needed to know the truth somehow if they were going to thrive. He just didn't know when they would start accepting the truth.

. . .

After the initial speeches, there was a large ball held in the ballroom inside the palace. Every Lycanian who attended the ball danced with somebody, whether it be a lover, friend, or even stranger, with Rafael dancing with his first ever mistress, and there were more for him to have as time would go by. Happiness filled the room, gaiety was in every soul, and a sense of new hope was gained.

Meanwhile, Geronimo merely made his way to his large room and turned on the TV in an attempt to drown out the noise coming from the ballroom, which happened to be not far off. There had to be something that interested him that was on the boob tube. He started flipping through the channels to see what would interest him.

_"But Lance, it wouldn't feel right! You're my cousin's uncle's son-"_

_"Actually, I'm not a real Tyrranhoid-"_

_"The return of a hero that reduced a show to zero. Recently, Ratchet and Clank have saved billions of Dreadzone fans and contestants and put a stop to the illegal underground combat sport. Gleeman Vox, the founder of Vox Industries, was exposed to the general public as forcing contestants to fight to the death for the entertainment of billions of people across the Shadow Sector. He was eventually defeated in a battle against Ratchet inside the Battledome, and eventually killed off in his own detonation of the large dome. When interviewing the heroes, they didn't have much to say, only that they arrived in Metropolis of planet Kerwan only to visit somebody special. Many heroes are indebted to Ratchet and are being interviewed by many stations as we speak. The two heroes are also-"_

BUM BUM BUM! Geronimo's door was being knocked. Reluctantly, Geronimo stood up and walked to the door to look through the peephole. He saw Rafael with two of his guards dressed in shining black and blue Gadgetron armor. They were armed with Shock Blasterss strapped to their backs. But the question was, why did Rafael come here?

Geronimo opened the door with one hand and gripped his N60 Storm with another. Upon looking at Rafael again, he frowned and asked, "What do you want?"

"Open the door all the way, sir," one of the guards said. At first, Geronimo was confused as to why he said that, but then he realized that, since this was the new king, they didn't want Geronimo pulling any funny stuff on his brother. Especially after a speech like he did, security seemed even more necessary.

Rafael kept the same smug smile he had during the crowning ceremony and laughed. "Just a chance to reconcile with you, dear brother. Your speech actually spoke volumes to me. After recalling all the events that happened between us, I realized that, yes, I have been mistreating you, for quite some time now. However, I think that both of us can put those events behind us, as I have turned over a new leaf."

Geronimo rolled his eyes as he said, "A new leaf?"

"Yes. I have reached a level of maturity to know what is right and what is wrong. I have been utilizing this for quite some time now, but I've kept quiet about that, as not to seem like a braggadocio to our family."

"Oh, really? You don't want to seem like a braggadocio? Well, excuse me for not realizing, my dear king!" Geronimo began as he mockingly knelt down to the ground. "I have no idea why I couldn't notice it from your social media updates making Lion King song references and about how you're getting many more women to be with now that you're king! Another thing to hold against me, sire, might be the ball you just had where you were flapping your gums about how you were planning on a long and just reign when you were in the throne. Finally, you have reached a certain level of maturity quite some time ago? I surely agree, as I remember drying myself and my clothes off when you pushed me into the pool _freaking yesterday._ You still owe me a new communicator, by the way. But anyway, allow me to give my apologies for not realizing your newfound humility, sire!"

Rafael had a hurt expression on his face. "You have cut me deep, brother. Well, it seems that if I can't convince you now, I'll just have to prove to you via example. And that starts right now. Robin, would you care to hand me the package?"

The guard on Rafael's right reached behind him, making Geronimo nervous. His shooting hand twitched since he didn't know what exactly was this package Rafael was going to give him. Was Rafael finally going to retaliate for his slandering speech?

His hand slowly reached for his N60 Storm as the exchange was being passed from Robin to Rafael to finally himself. Geronimo found a package wrapped in red wrapping paper. It seemed big enough to hold a small bomb!

Reluctantly, Geronimo reached for the package. He extracted his claws from his fingers and tore open the package. It was a VidCom 5.0, the same model that Rafael ruined! What it was was a communicator about cell-phone sized that popped open and exposed a 24-inch display of the person calling the user. It was very similar to Clank's communication feature.

Geronimo still hated Rafael's guts, but he knew when to show appreciation. Especially since this was the first nice thing that Rafael did to him. "Uh, thanks."

"No problem, brother. I felt remorseful for that incident yesterday, so I wanted to pay you back. Anyway, we must be off. Got some regal business to attend to." Rafael traipsed away from Geronimo's room and went into his throne room.

He set up his communicator and got his old communicator ID back in no time flat, so he got back the contacts of two people: Rafael, and his mom. You'd expect him to have many more contacts since he was royalty, right? Well, due to his usual trenchant nature, it was a bit difficult for him to make friends. And all the people that he had met in his earlier years that were friendly to him were only like that because he was a prince. If he didn't have royal blood, they would have treated him like dirt, like his brother. Geronimo could detect stuff like that in people.

But what was strange was Rafael's sudden friendliness towards him. All he had were two guards watching the conversation between the two royal brothers. Only if their parents or the press was watching did Rafael act nice to Geronimo. But since none of those entities were present, he expected the usual barrage of insults and physical torment, with guards to help him out. But no. None of that ever occurred.

And when Rafael mentioned the speech he gave, Geronimo thought back to his mom, who requested him to do a speech in the first place. He thought he was doing the population good by telling the truth about Rafael. However, after actually thinking about it, he may have done his mother a disservice by slandering him. He wouldn't understand why, since he was always told to be honest when talking to people. And he was honest. There was nothing that he said that wasn't true. That was another thing about Geronimo. If there was something he needed to tell somebody, he cut right to the chase, no holds barred. Again, it was difficult to make friends like this.

_Maybe it's just a mom thing, _Geronimo concluded. _Maybe she wanted to see us getting along because it's bad for someone's mental health to know that their family is broken. Of course, I wouldn't exactly say that our family is broken, it's just that two out of three members hate each other. That's not broken, though, is it?_

As he kept thinking about it, the more it bothered him. He needed to talk to his mother to get things clear. His first option was to call her up via vidcom, but he remembered one of his unwritten rules for things: he always talked out serious things in person if the situation allowed. He looked at himself in the mirror. He wore a black T-shirt with red warmups with red stripes, his everyday outfit. He was supposed to wear his blue and gold royalty tuxedo all the time, like Rafael, but, you already know about his feelings toward his bloodline. Plus, it got hot in that stuff. It was usually hot enough since the Lycanians had thick fur.

Geronimo decided to finally get up and do something about this. He exited his room and started walking towards the throne room, which was a straight shot to Regina's room. Sure, Cedric Sang had multiple mistresses, but it was obvious that Regina was his favorite, so he had a room dedicated entirely to her. Most likely, she would be in there, since it was 11:32 P.M.

He was twenty feet away from the entrance of the throne room when he was suddenly stopped by three guards that stood in front of the room. "Sorry, mister. You have no clearance for two reasons. One, you're carrying a weapon, and two, nobody gets in or out after eleven o'clock," one of them said.

Geronimo laughed. "Yeah, like I'm really trying to kill my brother. Look, I know what it looks like, but think about it. Do you really think I would want to assassinate the king?"

"After what you said today, it wouldn't surprise me," another guard replied, regarding Geronimo's "positive" speech. All of the guards wore the same armor and weapons that the two guards beside Rafael had.

"Nothing personal, my prince, but it's just safety procedures. We would have said the same thing to anybody else that came by. We don't allow anybody near " the third guard said. Just then, an unfamiliar Lycanian approached the three guards and Geronimo. Geronimo never forgot a face, and he saw a lot of faces in his life as a prince. He knew that this Lycanian was a stranger to the country, from looks, to scent, to a crown on his head that read "King of Gyrus."

There were four guards following this Gyrusian king, and the Tregsenian guards saluted this stranger and went out of the way of the Gyrusians. When the last guard passed by, they immediately closed the gap they made.

Geronimo gave a look of disbelief to all of the guards. "What was that? I thought you said no clearance for anyone after eleven o'clock!"

"Yes, unless it's foreign business. You saw the king's crown."

"And what about his weapon? He was carrying a weapon himself, a ma-loving Plasma Whip, along with his armed guards!"

"Yeah. And we got guards in the throne room. Foreign business is being conducted right now, and you're not from a foreign country, are you? Now, beat it, kid!"

Geronimo's ears flattened at this nonsense. They weren't really concerned about Rafael's safety. They were hiding something. And Geronimo wanted to find out what it was.

He exited the vicinity and went into his own room again. He made sure that it looked like he was in his bed by putting a bunch of his old clothes on the bed and pillow, and covered all of it with his blanket. It should work, since it seemed like Geronimo was upset about something and pulled the blanket over his head. He usually did that whenever he retired to his bed distraught. Then, he looked in the corner of the room and saw a ventilation shaft slightly above the ground. He used to use the shaft to sneak into the throne room in his mischievous youth without anybody else knowing. He didn't need it back then for urgent matters such as this, but at this point in time, he was glad that he used it back in the day.

He yanked the cover off of the ventilation shaft and went inside. There was plenty of room for him to crawl along the shaft with ease. With extra precaution, he put the cover of the shaft back on, although it was loosely attached to the wall since he removed it.

Geronimo crawled through the shaft and turned left. After more crawling, the pathway split off in three different directions. It was a long time since he used the shaft, so he had trouble remembering which direction to take to the throne room. He racked his brain to remember which direction to take...

"...newly crowned king..."

He barely heard these three words coming from somewhere. It sounded like it was from in front of him. Then, Geronimo had a spark of recalling. He should go forward at this split-off.

As he moved closer to his desired destination, more memories came back to him. Also, a conversation was becoming clearer as he progressed.

"...coming out here tonight..."

"...what's the plan for the galaxy..."

"...hey, I heard something about that Lombax returning..."

Geronimo was about to finally make it to the throne room, but as soon as he made the final turn, he found a large fan blocking his way to a catwalk high up in the throne room. His plan was to chill out on the catwalk and stealthily see what was going on in the room. However, that plan was slightly thwarted when Cedric installed fans on the vents inside the throne room. Geronimo face-palmed at first, but he could still see and hear a good amount of what was happening. Rafael was at his throne, as usual, and he made a projection onto a wall from his computer tablet. It seemed like he was discussing a battle plan...across the Solana galaxy...with all these kings from other countries...

"All right, our plan for galactic domination is this. We train all of our soldiers for intense interplanetary warfare. Then, we start taking over the planets in the Solana Galaxy. I'm thinking Aquatos is where we'll start to set up shop. Now, about this Lombax returning, do you know this, Reggie?"

The king of Gyrus nodded. "Saw it on live HV, so you know it has to be true. Ratchet has returned to the galaxy and is now settling in Kerwan. Seems like he survived DreadZone after all. You know that something like this is going to be interfered by him. What are we going to do with him?"

Rafael put his finger on his chin as he pondered. "Do you know his home planet?"

"They didn't say in the news, but I'm pretty sure that it's Veldin. Either that, or Marcadia. One of the two."

"Hmm. We're unsure of his specific home planet, so we should make sure that we hit the precise one at the right time...aw, to heck with it, let's raid both of those planets at the same time! That way, we can lure Ratchet out of his hiding spot, and that's where we go in for the kill."

"Do you not understand the crap we're dealing with? Ratchet and Clank have had four games made about them for a reason! They saved three galaxies and billions of DreadZone fans, against all odds! These guys are 'virtually,' no pun intended, unstoppable! How do you suppose we dispose of him?" Reggie asked.

"Well, how do we dispose of anybody, Reggie? We gun them up and clap them quickly, along with anybody that would aid the dynamic doofuses. But first things first, we need to go to Aquatos. We train our militaries for a month before we set off. That's right on the dot, folks. Today is September 14. So, on October 14, at 900 hours, we set off for Aquatos. The Aquatos National Protection Force is too soft for all of us combined." Rafael started laughing at the thought of taking over Aquatos' planet to start off the takeover of the galaxy.

One of the kings raised his hands. Rafael immediately stopped laughing and allowed him to continue.

"What are you going to do about your brother? I heard about what he said about you, so he may want to repel our defenses. It'd be a smart move, considering that he has royal lineage."

Rafael started laughing again. "That cursed fool at least knows not to contend with me physically. Sure, he can say whatever he wants to somebody. Given the results of what happened today, nobody would take him seriously. And, in case he does try to tell somebody that would actually do something about it, I bugged his new vidcom I gave him. Heaven knows that he always carries that thing around. And it's designed to record even when it's not being used. I can hear his conversations 24/7! And, wherever he goes, I can see via a map, and it can track him anywhere within the galaxy. So, I guess you could say he's..." Rafael reached for sunglasses that were conveniently placed beside his throne, "...deadlocked! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rafael laughed as loud as he could, it seemed. Then, a look of surprise was plastered onto his face.

Geronimo looked closer and saw a small earpiece inside Rafael's ear. There was the thing he was listening to Geronimo with. Geronimo then felt the vidcom in his pocket. He needed to destroy this thing as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, as Rafael looked surprised, another king asked, "What's the problem, Rafael?"

"I think I just hear my own laugh through my earpiece. If my hunch is correct..." Rafael touched an icon on his computer tablet. He found a blinking green dot near his position for a few seconds. Then, it disappeared right before his eyes. He slammed the arm on the side of his throne in rage. "He was listening to us! He knows our plan!" He reached for a secret button on the other arm of the throne and put the entire security division of the palace on high alert. Rafael then told all of his guards, "Geronimo has caught wind of our plans! If-no,-WHEN you find him, kill him off. Kill anybody that defies you!"

Rafael's guards were deployed all over the palace, bloodthirsty for Geronimo's immolation. Geronimo knew what he had to do in order to survive. He needed to exit the vent, make a quick shot to the spacecraft station nearby the palace, and get out of Dodge. However, like all things, it was easier said than done...

He quickly moved backward out of the immediate area and reached his room's vent. Before he exited, he turned himself around so he faced his room's vent headfirst. He was about to move into the room when a guard kicked open the door and saw the lump of clothes on the bed. The guard shot three shots of his Shock Blaster to finish off the fake Geronimo.

Good thing he didn't exit the vent just yet. Geronimo took out his N60 Storm and broke open the vent. From a prone position, he started shooting at the guard, hitting him nine times in the chest and two more times to the head. The guard fell over and disappeared, leaving only a floating Shock Blaster, a few bolts, and a few transparent canisters around. As soon as he made sure that nobody else was coming into the room, he walked out of the vent and picked up the shotgun. When he picked it up, his N60 Storm disappeared in a Gadgetron electronic wristwatch. Since he was holding the Shock Blaster, the Storm was safely placed in his mini-storage that Gadgetron users had with their weapons. It was also there that he could quickly select another weapon from a visual weapon wheel on his watch. Then, the canisters became dissolved into his watch and his Shock Blaster. More ammo was given to his two weapons. Finally, more bolts was added to his checkings account.

It would have probably been in his best interest to keep the Shock Blaster out, so that's what he did. Then, he turned left in an attempt to make an escape towards the spacecraft station. He checked behind him. Nobody was there. So, he ran through the hallways.

Two more guards sniffed him out and appeared at both sides of an intersection in the hallway. Geronimo didn't stop running as he shot them both with shells from three shots of his Shock Blaster, taking them both out. More ammo and bolts appeared where their bodies were, and Geronimo promptly procured the items.

He finished off three more guards on his way to the spacecraft station before he finally met his destination. He saw what he liked to call the Dark Courier, which was a purple, black and red star cruiser with missile launchers on both wings. It was a birthday present given to him by Cedric, and he loved it ever since.

Geronimo opened the Dark Courier and went inside. He found twenty guards running towards him and shooting at his star cruiser with Shock Blasters, disregarding the fact that they were damaging the other cruisers. They needed their target dead. Geronimo quickly put the key into the ignition and started his takeoff. Just to toy with the guards, he moved his cruiser backward behind one cruiser, making his pursuers shoot the one cruiser instead of his own. He did the same with another cruiser, only moving forward this time, and got the same result. He turned on hyperspeed and zoomed out of the vicinity, disappearing in the night sky.

"WOOOO!" Geronimo exclaimed as he did barrel rolls and loop-de-loops in hyperspeed. It always provided him with an adrenaline rush to be rolling around at, almost, the speed of sound, it felt like. After having fun for a few minutes, he set his destination for Metropolis in Kerwan. His brother was conniving, he always knew that. But now, he was taking his evil wishes to the next level, as Rafael was conspiring with fellow kings in Lycania to take over the galaxy and rule it with diamond fists. If he could JUST BARELY escape a scrap like the one in the palace alive, he would need some help to thwart the entire plan. And he knew just the Lombax and robot to call...


	2. Chapter 2

Meanwhile, while all of the Lycanian mess was going on, Ratchet and Clank arrived in Kerwan. After the menacing waves of reporters were finished with their inquiries of the two returned heroes, the duo walked to the city hall to meet the new major of Metropolis.

"Think she missed me?" Ratchet asked Clank as they walked to the hall. Clank looked at Ratchet. The Lombax was still attired in his Liberator armor from DreadZone. Since he never wore armor, Clank couldn't even begin to imagine the discomfort the armor caused Ratchet. However, it couldn't have been that bad, since he moved so well in DreadZone, right?

The city hall was a large white building with an exterior cement staircase as wide as the front side of the building. At the top of the staircase were four towering white pillars that supported the roof of the building. There were glass double doors that led into the mayoral building. Ratchet was about to knock on one of the doors when it opened by itself.

"Thanks for locking up Meredith," a female voice sounded. It was a sound that Ratchet had been waiting to hear for the longest time. As soon as he laid eyes on that purple suit, those black boots and that brown striped fur, his heart skipped a beat as he smiled.

"Hello, Sasha," Ratchet said suavely, his eyes showing a look of attraction and a winning smile. At least, he hoped it was winning. He never really knew how to be as suave as his robotic friend in Secret Agent Clank, but at least Sasha knew that when he tried doing this, the situation is meant to be casual.

Sasha's eyes widened when she actually saw him in front of her, and not inside a holovision set. This was real life. She dropped the files she had in her hand and spread her arms out to hug the returned Lombax. She hadn't heard anything from the TV that day what with her busy work in being a mayor for a huge city. It was 9:57 P.M., and she was just getting off work for the day.

Ratchet returned her hug with his own. He was careful not to hurt Sasha with him still being in Liberator armor. The two lovers held each other for around fifteen seconds before any of them talked. They looked at each other, hands on the other person's shoulders.

"It's good to see you again," both of them said, and the two were taken aback when this happened. They both chuckled. Ratchet then remembered Clank. "Clank's back, too," he said as he gestured to the little robot who waved at Sasha. She bent down to pick Clank up and gave him a hug as well.

"I thought you guys were goners when the Battledome exploded..." Sasha admitted as she put Clank down.

"Yeah, well, we've been in closer shaves before...Clank was the one who saved me," answered Ratchet, causing Clank to turn his head to the side and put his hand on the back of his head in an "Aw, shucks" manner.

"Well, I'm glad that all of you made it. I was just on my way home. All of you are invited for a dinner on me to celebrate your return," Sasha replied.

"Oh, really? We'd be honored to. But first things first, I need to get out of this armor. It's killer on my spine," Ratchet answered. Sasha chuckled.

. . .

Ratchet, Clank and Sasha stopped by a clothing store, where the employees immediately recognized Ratchet and offered a set of clothes for free. He just went with his classic shirtless, jeans with suspenders outfit that had been present in the first game. After that, the trio traveled to Sasha's house for the dinner she promised.

"So, what did you do while we were gone?" Ratchet asked, cutting into his meat.

"I would move as quick as possible from work to home and watch your performance on HV, what do you expect? Since I was the mayor, I couldn't just ride aboard the Starship Phoenix and try to find you. And since you, YOU guys, the saviors of three galaxies and whatnot, weren't able to escape from the Shadow Sector's forces, I didn't know what I could do with any of my soldiers. And last night, I couldn't see the final battle between you and Vox, since I had much more work to do that night. Frankly, I almost didn't want to see what would have happened.

"So, tell me, after all the escape pods were sent out when you were in the control center, what happened after that?"

Ratchet and Clank explained the fight with Vox and the escape from the Battledome seconds before its detonation. Then, they went into some details about the return trip home, captivating the Cazar with every word spoken.

After the dinner, the Lombax and the robot set off for a place to sleep for the night, but not without a kiss from Sasha to Ratchet. Ratchet still had a few bolts left over from winning the Liberator Tournament in DreadZone, so they could stay in a hotel for the night. They stopped at a fancy-looking hotel called the Dancing Fox. Ratchet received a hero discount by only having to pay half price for a room.

When Ratchet got settled in, he hit the sack like a tackling pad. Since DreadZone, he wasn't able to get a real good night's sleep. Whenever he tried to, he would get called back to the Battledome or the Planetary Transport, since the Vox Network was virtually always running. But now, he had the choice of when he wanted to sleep, how long he wanted to sleep, and when he could get up. It was heaven on Kerwan.

Clank retired to a smaller bed that had been given to him by the hotel workers. They were notified of Clank's presence, so they brought a bed made specifically for him in case he ever came.

"Ah, this is what I've been waiting for. You know something, Clank? I am through saving the galaxy. I mean, come on. If somebody like me, a regular mechanic, could save a galaxy, anybody could. Think about it. The mailman could save the galaxy if he just made a deal with Gadgetron. All the people you have to take out on your way to galactic salvation, it pays pretty well, so you can keep going until the end. Everybody knows how to fly a star cruiser, and technology is constantly improving, right? And besides that, I don't even want all the fame that I get right now. I just wish that there would me another guy to take my place. All I want is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of my life in peace, with you on my right side and Sasha on my other."

"Every hero must have said that at one point in their lives. But you are forgetting one thing, Ratchet. We are in a fanfiction, and the author didn't make any plans of you relaxing long. Better get as much rest as you can before something bad happens. You know that wherever we go, trouble follows."

Ratchet shook his head and rolled his eyes. There he was, Clank, the one who interrupted any series of good thoughts with logic. It annoyed him even more, considering that Clank was probably right. He WAS in a fanfiction. He had no idea what events would happen next. He was mostly unaware of the writing style of yours truly. Ratchet wasn't sure if I would use mostly action, drama, romance, comedy, or a combination thereof. However, he decided not to worry about it too much.

"Good night, Clank."

"Good night, Ratchet."

. . .

That night, the Dark Courier landed in planet Kerwan. It was by some incredible feat, Geronimo thought, since Kerwan had trillions of people, and more people meant less parking spaces available. However, he was still successful, and he landed a few miles away from the main street.

It was 11:45 P.M. local time when he landed. He exited the Dark Courier and started moving to the main street to ask people questions of Ratchet and Clank's whereabouts. There weren't too many people out and about on the streets, but the people that were out didn't help him at all. After traveling for half an hour, he decided to rest at a hotel as well. The nearest one was the Dancing Fox, and judging by the amount of floors it had, it seemed expensive. _Being a prince may have some advantages after all,_ Geronimo thought.

He walked in to find a feminine robot with aqua blue eyes, blonde hair and a royal blue dress behind the front desk. When the robot found him, she gave a fearful expression, much to Geronimo's bewilderment. He didn't have any weapons out. He didn't have a scary look on his face, at least, he didn't think he was. He wasn't wearing any intimidating clothes. Maybe it was the fact that he was a stranger.

"Um, h-h-how can I h-h-help you, s-s-sir?" the receptionist stammered, her arms trembling. Geronimo blinked before he replied.

"I was only wondering if you had seen Ratchet and Clank anywhere. I'm looking for their assistance."

"Uh, y-y-yes I've seen them. R-r-room 214 up-s-s-stairs..." the receptionist robot replied. Geronimo still couldn't decipher why this robot was so afraid of him. In reality, nobody should be afraid of him. Sure, he was sarcastic and rude at times, but never really threatening to somebody, unless they were trying to mess with him.

"Oh, they are rooming here? Well, I'd like to rent a room for the night. How much will it cost?"

"Th-th-three hundred bolts a night." The robot's arms were trembling as she reached for Geronimo's room key. "Y-y-your room number is 222."

In an attempt to calm her down, Geronimo gave a friendly, casual smile as he said, "Thank you, ma'am." He walked to the nearest elevator and moved upstairs.

_Jeez, she acted like she was looking at a monster. I can't be that different from the other people she'd seen, right? I sure hope I don't give the impression that I'm a criminal. Then again, Lycania isn't exactly known for complying with the laws of the rest of the galaxy. It would become more apparent soon with the soon-to-be takeover._

The elevator door opened. Geronimo found his hotel door not too far from Ratchet's, which would help the prince out a lot in the morning. When he got settled in, all he could do was open his window and stare at the moon. Like many Lycanians, he had a fascination with moons. He felt that there was something special, something powerful coming from the moons he saw. It was a feeling that not even he could explain.

He could feel slightly more powerful when he stared at this moon, which helped him. He thought over the last 24 hours that had happened. He told millions of people to prepare for a lot of war and contention with the crowning of Rafael. Geronimo never knew that Rafael would have made the decision to start war on the Solana Galaxy so early in his reign. He never knew that Rafael would be dictatorial to somebody other than him. Of course, it wasn't just Rafael planning to take over the galaxy. There were at least ten kings in this operation. Lycania's countries were large, and large countries meant large militaries. It would take a miracle to take out these guards. He had Ratchet and Clank to help him out, that was IF they would believe him. Lycania was more of an independent planet from the rest of the galaxy. No other planet in the galaxy has really heard of it. The reason was that Solana had a president to govern the entire galaxy. Lycania never wanted to have a president, but monarchies in the countries instead. Of course, monarchy wasn't legal in the galaxy, since it went against the democracy. Lycania had to keep a low profile in order to keep its monarchy systems.

Lycanians also never moved away from their planet, leaving their race a mystery to the rest of the galaxy. _Maybe that's why that receptionist was so afraid,_ Geronimo thought. _Maybe I AM very different than anybody that robot seen. Our kind isn't exactly everywhere in the galaxy. _

_But how exactly are we going to defeat Rafael? I already know Ratchet's a one-man army. But even this might be a bit difficult for him...Nah, it's not difficulty I should be worried about. It's what we're going to do that needs concern. As soon as I get Ratchet and Clank in this, I think we can move to Aquatos. From there, I think Ratchet should do the talking to the Aquatos National Protection Force. They're most likely going to listen to him before me. And what about Veldin and Marcadia? I know that Ratchet's from Veldin, that was established on DreadZone. But, we can't just save one planet and let the other one be ravaged. Both planets will get invaded at the same time. I sure hope that Ratchet has friends in high places..._

These thoughts plagued his mind throughout the night, causing him no sleep that entire night. Fortunately for Lycanians, lack of sleep didn't affect them as badly as other creatures. Geronimo just sat in a "thinker" position all those hours when he found the sun rising. His mind still focused on what to do next, and nothing could break him out of concentration until...

_Click! _

His left ear twitched. It sounded like Ratchet was exiting his room. It sounded close enough. Geronimo also had an ability to sniff out different people, as everybody had different scents, and he was a wolf. However, he never met Ratchet in person. He didn't know either Ratchet's or Clank's scents. As soon as he heard that door open, he bounded off of his bed and exited his own room, almost forgetting to take his hotel key.

He looked left, then right. There he was. A bit smaller than Geronimo expected, but it wasn't as if size mattered. And there was Secret Agent Clank, in the flesh, er, metal, if you will. If he was going to appoint them, he needed to do it then.

"Ratchet!" A baritone hit Ratchet's ears like a bullet train. It was unfamiliar to him, and judging by Clank's reaction, it was unfamiliar to him as well. Both of them turned around to find a most strange creature. He continued to approach them in a walking pace until he stopped three feet in front of them.

"Haha, no way, pal, I'm not taking pictures or answering questions today. I just got back from DreadZone, give me a break," Ratchet said, somewhat laughing at the situation.

"Trust me, I wouldn't waste any time taking pictures of you. My name is Geronimo Sang, from the planet Lycania. I request the assistance from you two because crap's going down at home."

"Really? How do I know that this isn't some prank you're pulling on me just as I get back from DreadZone? 'Lycania?' 'Geronimo Sang?' Come on, those names seem ridiculous! No really, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Ratchet laughed harder.

Geronimo didn't have to take any crap about his name. He knew that it sounded cool, and nobody had any right to make fun of it. With a sarcastic smirk, he replied "Yeah, and Geronimo CERTAINLY doesn't sound as ridiculous as _Ratchet._ Mine is a real name, you were named after a gear. So, who's laughing now?"

Ratchet squinted his eyes in annoyance. Who in the heck was this guy to come out of the blue and insult him? If this "Geronimo" guy kept it up, Ratchet would have to bring out his Omniwrench and show him what it did.

"Anyway, names aside, I swear on my father's grave that there's some bad stuff happening. If we could find a place to converse, I could explain in full detail. That is, of course, if your busy schedule would allow for something like this."

Ratchet had no idea what he would get himself into if he accepted. But, the last sentence that Geronimo said somehow convinced him. He had no idea what he would do the rest of the day if he declined. He was still in shape after being in DreadZone.

"I don't know. Clank, do you believe this guy?" Ratchet said, looking down at his robotic companion. Clank scanned Geronimo for a confirmation of his home planet. He scanned his fur and his face. It matched something in his database.

"He is from Lycania. I've never been there, but it's in my database. Lycania actually isn't too far from Kerwan, and actually right next to Veldin," Clank answered. Geronimo grinned, since somebody Ratchet trusted knew that he was legit.

Ratchet shrugged and said, "All right. Looks like we'll listen to you. For now. We can talk in the continental breakfast area."

Ratchet, Clank and Geronimo walked to the breakfast room. It had a number of robots serving coffee, donuts, bacon, eggs, anything you could think of. Large glass windows surrounded the large room. The area was filled with different creatures that resided in the hotel temporarily.

The time was 9:54 A.M. when the three sat down at a table near the corner of the gym-sized breakfast room. Ratchet dug into a few donuts and coffee, while Geronimo's breakfast consisted of bacon, sausage, toast, and orange juice. After a few bites of everything, Geronimo explained his situation. He explained how Lycania wasn't known to most Solana inhabitants because of its monarchy system.

"And, another thing to note, I am a prince of the country called Tregsen. My father recently died, so my brother, Rafael, was named king. On the same night of his crowning ceremony, I found out that he is planning with other kings in Lycania to make all of Solana a dictatorship led by multiple dictators. They were discussing your return from DreadZone, and then they found out that I was eavesdropping on their plot. A few dead guards and damaged star cruisers later, here I am. Now, they're looking for me, and looking for you two."

It all seemed pretty convincing to Ratchet. Ratchet had seen a lot of interesting creatures in his lifetime, but never in his life had he seen a Lycanian. And here was one of them, a prince of an entire country, asking for assistance in defeating his own brother. Ratchet could probably accomplish such a task.

"Do you know anything else about your brother's plan?" Clank asked.

"Well, the first planet he mentioned was Aquatos. He and a few other kings are invading that planet on October 14, although he may have changed up the date since I heard almost everything. After Aquatos, they're attacking Veldin and Marcadia, in an attempt to draw you out of whatever planet you may have been in at the time."

At the mention of Veldin, Ratchet's eyes widened. There was NO way that he would let his home planet just be invaded without a fight. Drek and Nefarious made that same mistake.

"Crap, man, why didn't you just say that they were attacking Veldin in the first place? Count us in!" Ratchet enthusiastically answered. Geronimo smiled, knowing for sure at this point that he had the backup of Ratchet and Clank.

"What is that falling from the sky?" a person said, finding some things descending from the stratosphere out the window. This attracted the attention of many people, Ratchet and Geronimo included, causing them to crowd around the window.

All people could see were black and grey dots quickly cascading towards the ground. They were miles away, and nobody could decipher what they were. Was this radioactive precipitation as stated by numerous conspiracy theorists?

The figures were oddly familiar to Geronimo. He could see things clearly from a long distance, another Lycanian trait. It was still difficult to tell what they were in the cloudy sky. But, it became evident when he saw these grey and black figures deploy parachutes.

"Oh, crap," Geronimo said. These were Lycanians parachuting down in Metropolis! They somehow knew of his location!

"What?" Ratchet asked.

"It's the Lycanians I told you about. They know that I'm here," Geronimo replied. That area of the room became shady all of a sudden, meaning that there was a parachutist near the window. The prince's eyes widened. "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" he exclaimed. Not knowing why, but not questioning anything, everybody near the window ducked.

A black Lycanian was at body level to the window. He possessed the Agents of Doom and threw four robots through the window. The Gadgebots were deployed inside the room, looking for a specific target. Once they all found Geronimo, their eyes went from green to red.

The crowd was filled with hysteria when they saw this sight. Geronimo went to the front of the crowd and took out his N60 Storm and shot all four of the robots, destroying them before they could harm anybody. He looked at Ratchet and said, "They're here! Follow me!"

Clank jumped on Ratchet's back as he ran with Geronimo. If Ratchet had any doubts that more people were wanting him dead, then they were quickly vanished.

Geronimo ran to the side of the doorway and took cover by placing his back on the wall. Ratchet told the crowd, "Stay hidden, stay low!" and followed suit.

"Here, take this," Geronimo said, tossing Ratchet the Storm. Geronimo then equipped his Shock Blaster. The two looked at each other and nodded. The Lycanian mouthed, "One, two, three," and both of them exited cover to advance forward, Geronimo in front.

When they went out of the room, they turned right in the hallway. They gradually marched through the hallway, both aiming down the sights ready for soldiers to approach them. It wouldn't be long before enemy Lycanians would be coming into the hotel.

Whenever they needed to turn in the hallway, the two would take cover behind the walls on either side of the hallway, then briskly move forward. On their way to the elevator, Geronimo shot two Lycanians down and collected their ammo, still making his way to the elevator. Ratchet closely followed him, covering his back. Thanks to Clank, Ratchet was made aware of one more Lycanian behind them. He quickly turned around and gunned the strange wolf-like creature, collecting a few bolts from the kill.

The two finally made it to the nearest elevator and went inside it. Ratchet entered first, then Geronimo. Ratchet hit the down button on the elevator's control pad, quickly closing the door. The door didn't close a moment too soon, as the three felt vibrations on the door, caused by more Lycanians shooting at the door. Dents became present on the door as the elevator descended.

Elevator music played:

_WAR! HUH! What is it good for?_

_Absolutely NOTHING!_

_DING! _The door finally opened, only to expose more Lycanians in the next hallway. About fifteen feet from the elevator, the hallway broke off to a right turn. Quickly, Ratchet and Geronimo ran to the corner to take cover. The two finally made it, but not without one of them getting shot.

"AGH!" Geronimo yelled. One of the Lycanians fired a Storm at him, causing Geronimo a burning sensation on his stomach. He was nearest to the corner, with Ratchet on his left side when he put his back on the wall.

"Dang!" Geronimo exclaimed as he bent over in pain. This was the first time he had ever been shot, and he somehow knew that it wouldn't be the last if he continued being involved. He put his hand on the dark, ashy burn on his torso. It was quite a nasty wound.

Ratchet knew his pain. He remembered his first adventure against Drek. He had been attacked dozens of times without armor. Of course, that wasn't much of a problem for him in his most recent adventures, but he silently sympathized with this Lycanian.

"No time to nurse wounds, man! We need to move!" Ratchet insisted. A powerful vibration afflicted the area, causing the floor under Ratchet and Geronimo to shake and powdery cement to fall from the ceiling above them.

In a slightly slower pace, Geronimo peeked out of cover with his Shock Blaster out. He fired five shots at the cluster of Lycanians in the main lobby. He hit the majority of them, thanks to the spread of the pellets. He tried firing a sixth time, only to be greeted by a clicking noise from his gun.

"Crap, I'm out! Cover me!" the prince commanded. Ratchet and Geronimo switched positions on the wall. Ratchet fired the Storm at the remaining three invaders that were in the room and cleared it out.

Another violent vibration was felt by the three, and more powdery cement fell down, causing Geronimo to sneeze. "Come on! I'll take you to my star cruiser so that we don't have these people busting at us!" Geronimo offered. What choice did Ratchet have?

The two dashed through the front door. They ran a good hundred feet away from the hotel when Ratchet verbally acknowledged, "Wait, what about the people?"

Before Geronimo could reply, a large fleet of Lycanian star cruisers soared past the hotel building, dropping bombs on the place. A massive onslaught of explosions appeared on the building, causing most of it to be engulfed in a fiery inferno. A low, loud sound came from the Dancing Fox as it crumbled to pieces.

"We need to get moving now! The reason why they are still bombing the place is that they think we're still in it!" Geronimo replied. Reluctantly, Ratchet kept moving along to wherever Geronimo's ship was. A pained expression plastered onto his face, since he knew he couldn't do anything to help anybody that was inside.

A few minutes later, Geronimo found the Dark Courier and quickly got inside. Ratchet and Clank entered the cruiser in no time at all. Geronimo took off and headed into outer space.

"All right, now you see the type of stuff we're dealing with. These guys are crazy about us, and not in a fangirl-y sort of way. Those guys were bombing that mess like it was nothing. They even risked hitting their own guys clinging on to the hope to kill us all. And it feels like they almost killed me with this nasty wound," Geronimo stated.

"And you're telling me that this was your first time dealing with something like this? Your aim seems to be way too good for this to be your first time in combat," Ratchet remarked.

"I spent quite some time at my palace's firing range. Besides that, on your first adventure, you had no prior experience with firearms, and yet, look where you went since then. Anyway, what's the plan now?"

Ratchet gave a look of disbelief. "Bro. You're serious? You're telling me that you flew all the way from a shady part of the galaxy, explain to me all of this crap about your brother being the new king and taking over the galaxy, ask for my help, and you're asking ME what's the plan?"

"Perhaps what I should have asked was, do you have any links?"

"What?"

"Links, you know, people that you know that would help you for something like this? I don't care how many galaxies you may have saved, pimp, you're not defeating these people alone. Of course, being the savior of three galaxies wouldn't give you any links with the government, such as a president or at least a mayor, now would it?" Geronimo concluded.

After the explanation, Ratchet and Clank immediately thought of the same person.

"Geronimo, activate your vidcom," Ratchet said. Geronimo pushed a button near a screen that was in the middle of his dashboard. "Sasha Phyronix," Ratchet said to the vidcom.

Immediately, Sasha's face popped up on the screen.

"Ratchet?"

"Sasha! Hi! Um, we had a bit of a confrontation here in Kerwan. More people are trying to kill us, and this is the only ship we have. So, bottom line, we request the assistance of the Phoenix for a place to land this thing," Ratchet said.

Sasha showed a shocked look in her eyes. "Wait, wait, first of all, who are you?" she asked, directed at Geronimo.

"My name will remain top secret until further notice, and I will explain everything once I get there. For now, let's just say that I'm the person who informed him of the crap that's going down now. If you really need to refer to me, just refer to me as 'The Songbird,'" Geronimo answered.

Sasha gave a cynical look to the Lycanian. This "Songbird" guy was way too mysterious, and he was a species that Sasha hadn't even seen before. However, she didn't like the idea of leaving Ratchet in danger of a new enemy. "Do you trust this guy, Ratchet?"

Ratchet didn't exactly think of that inquiry until that point. Did he really trust Geronimo? He didn't even know him for a full 24 hours! And yet, they went through that little scrap in the hotel as if they trusted each other, and they worked well together. So far, a lot of what Geronimo claimed seemed to be true, with Lycanians looking for them. And Ratchet _certainly _didn't want anything done to his home world.

"I trust him. What's the ETA of the Phoenix in our general location?"

"For it to get from Marcadia to where you are? It'll take around two hours. In order to speed things up, you could make your way there and meet the Phoenix halfway. I'm sending the Phoenix there now," Sasha replied.

"Thank you, ma'am," Geronimo said gratefully. The vidcom closed its call, leaving the Dark Courier in silence once more.

"I wonder why you act all nervous around her. She couldn't be your girlfriend," Geronimo assumed. Ratchet was cornered. What was he supposed to say?

"What makes you say she couldn't? Or are you being sarcastic again?" Ratchet responded.

"No, seriously, I don't think she could be your girlfriend. I thought you had your robotic boyfriend sitting behind us." Ratchet's eyes bucked when he heard that. He didn't mean...

"WHAT?!" Ratchet asked. He felt disgusted at the thought of that. Clank and him were pals, no doubt, but having him as a boyfriend? It was a thought that caused him to shudder. "I know you didn't..."

Geronimo laughed his way to the Phoenix.


	3. Chapter 3

The Dark Courier pulled into the Starship Phoenix, gently making its way to its docking station. Geronimo turned off the turbine engines and landed it in the Phoenix. The three jumped out of the cruiser to be greeted by most of the members of the Q-Force and a few Galactic Rangers.

As one would expect, Ratchet and Clank received the most greetings and hellos from the people, but everybody acted strange around Geronimo. It was for the same reason as everybody else: he was a stranger, of course, but it was also because of what he was. Nobody there had seen a Lycanian. However, they weren't going to react as that lady at the hotel.

"Ah, the Q-Force, without the Q. Where's Qwark?" Geronimo asked.

"His location is unknown at the moment. If he's still himself, he won't turn up till a very inconvenient time. Anyway, now that we're here, explain yourself," Sasha insisted. To any other person, they might have gotten nervous by having all of these eyes on them as the people awaited their reply. But with Geronimo, he was unfazed.

"My name is Geronimo Sang. I am of the planet Lycania," Geronimo began. He said the same things that he said to Ratchet, only adding the hotel incident in. "And the reason why I wouldn't specify my name in the ship is that they're looking for me first priority. Ratchet's a close second. I didn't want the chance of them tracing the call."

"Lycania? I've heard of something similar to that place, but I never knew if it was true," Al said. Geronimo widened his eyes at the sound of that. Could this be another person that could confirm that he was legit? It was pretty good that Clank confirmed legitimacy, but having whoever this guy was confirm it as well? Given that this gravity-challenged glasses-wearing cyborg looked smart, it would increase his confidence a lot with these people.

"What have you heard about Lycania, bruh?" Geronimo asked him.

"There were a bunch of stories passed on from generation to generation about this whole planet exclusively populated by a wolf-like species, which was vile, aggressive, and primordial. A few people actually made it to that planet, but they never returned from it. It was said to be even scarier than the entire Shadow Sector combined. Of course, these started off as rumors, so nobody knew about the Lycanians. It mostly played off as some scary story parents told their kids at night. But, now we know the real reason why not too many people have heard of your planet, because of the monarchy and all that. Fun fact, a lot of people thought of your race as mythical creatures," Al replied.

"Great. That's a confidence booster," Geronimo answered. "So, do we have a team? Are we going to put a stop to the menace that is Rafael?"

"First, you must prove yourself in the training grounds. We're not going to lead this little operation with our main lead out of shape," Helga said, stepping forth. Geronimo laid his eyes on the large training robot. Somehow, he knew that this was the being that would put him through intense training.

"God bless Tregsen," he said in disbelief. He never knew a robot would be that big and be a TRAINING ROBOT. "And here I was, thinking I was going to get settled in at first. Show me what it does, pimp!"

Ratchet rolled his eyes as Geronimo confidently walked into the VR Training deck. Even he was surprised from the hospitality the crew showed Geronimo, a complete stranger that looked like a mythical creature from a comic book. However, the crew didn't think that anybody would joke about an event with such a magnitude.

. . .

Geronimo exited the VR deck, out of breath and exhausted. That was the most intense training he'd ever been through. His lap of luxury caused his lack of fitness, but he still just barely got through the open flames, onslaughts of robots trying to kill him, and avoiding falling to his death in platforming puzzles. He needed to continue doing this if he wanted a chance to defeating Rafael.

The new trainee bent over and fell in his fatigue, landing face up. Helga walked over to him and leaned her head over his and taunted, "Now the trainee learns to not be so cocky! Because that was even more pathetic than little Ratchet's performance!"

"Yeah, and I'm just like Ratchet because this is my fifth adventure to save legions of people, right? I definitely should be compared to Ratchet when it comes to physical prowess, right? I had plenty of time to prepare for some crap like this, right?" Geronimo replied, with a glare at the training bot. Slowly, he got up to do his next order of business.

Ratchet had been watching Geronimo's performance and patted him on the back. "Forget what she says, you did pretty okay for a beginner. That was your first time on that thing. Most people that would try that thing probably couldn't even finish it," he whispered to Geronimo. The Lycanian grinned at the encouragement. "The next stop is armor. After your reaction to being shot earlier, this is going to be pretty important for you. I don't suppose you have any bolts left over in your account?"

"Money won't be an issue for me for a while. Remember, I'm a prince, so I acquired bolts in the past out the wazoo. I still got a good amount of bolts from when I left Lycania and when I dealt with the firefights. What armor do you have?"

Ratchet introduced him to the armor vendor on the ship. After gawking at the sleek armor sets available and the accessibility of the thing, Geronimo opted for the Magnaplate armor, leaving him around 40,000 bolts. He used more of this money to purchase the Plasma Whip and another N60 Storm, along with more ammunition for his Shock Blaster. He was locked and loaded for his next mission.

Ratchet decided to get some weapons back as well, since he was unable to use the guns he had in DreadZone. They were made to function only in the Battledome and in different planets where DreadZone was being filmed. He had his weapons confiscated when he was first captured by robots from the Shadow Sector, so he was left with only the Storm.

It seemed like Geronimo had everything he needed. Then, Ratchet thought, what would he do in extremely close situations against armored thugs? He couldn't just punch his way through armor.

"Hey, Geronimo, try this out," he said as he tossed him his wrench. Geronimo caught it and knew exactly what it was used for. A grin made its way onto his face as he held it. He gripped it by the handle and started swinging it around like a sword. It was a bit heavier than he expected it to be, since he saw Ratchet always carry and swing one so effortlessly.

"This thing is awesome. So, how do you...?" Geronimo began. He wondered how one would throw the OmniWrench with a Comet Strike. He decided to imitate what he had seen Ratchet do on TV. Geronimo crouched and threw the wrench like a frisbee.

The wrench flew, twirling like a tornado as it soared across the main deck. Geronimo's face was expectant, eagerly awaiting the sight of the wrench coming back to him and the sensation of the wrench landing perfectly back in his hand. However, the end result was the wrench's continued flight forward and its descent toward an unlucky Galactic Ranger who happened to be in its flight path.

"OW!" the Ranger said. Seeing the wrench on the floor, he quickly assumed it was Ratchet that threw it. "What was that for, Sarge?"

Ratchet would have told him the truth if he would have stopped laughing. He never thought that he would get the opportunity to prank somebody with that trick. Unbeknownst to Geronimo, only the original owner of the wrench could use the Comet Strike. His execution was perfect, though.

"Don't sweat it, bro. Maybe Al will make you a wrench before we start any operations," Ratchet encouraged. Sasha's voice came on the P.A.:_Geronimo, meet me at the command center for more equipment and a debriefing. _

Geronimo shrugged. "Duty calls. Let's go." The two were transported over the bridge, Geronimo enjoying the gentle _whirr_ of the transporter for the few seconds he was on it. The transporter opened on the other side, and Ratchet and Geronimo made their way onto the command center for more information.

Geronimo saw numerous computers, all being controlled by someone. There was the unforgettable Helga, who spent the majority of time looking up fitness videos. Then there was Al, who typed at a ridiculously fast pace, which was even more impressive since he only had three fingers per hand. However, with him having a robotic arm and such, that might have compensated for any handicaps. Skidd McMarx looked up hoverboarding stuff, which Geronimo assumed wasn't part of his duties. Then, there was Skrunch, who manically ran around the command center, holding a strange-looking item in his hand.

"What's that he got in his hand?" Geronimo asked. Ratchet took one glance of it and realized it was a Crotchitizer. He didn't know how he got it, where he got it from, or whose it was originally, but he didn't want to know.

"Uh, just make sure that you don't touch that," was Ratchet's reply. The two went down the splitting staircase to meet up with Sasha at the lower level.

"Good morning, boys. First order of business, Geronimo, will be the issuing of your new weapon. Al, bring your masterpiece to the new recruit," Sasha said. Al got up from his computer chair and exhibited a brand new wrench. The wrench had a flame-red color, and it possessed depictions of fire across the striking end of it. It was lighter than Ratchet's wrench, customized especially for Geronimo's use. An even bigger grin was on Geronimo's face when he held this wrench.

"Like it? I've made a replica of the OmniWrench in no time flat. Of course, it's not EXACTLY like the real thing, however, I did make it with the same alloy and materials as the OmniWrench, and I even took the liberty of adding a certain modification to it, where everybody you hit will be ignited with a small flame," Al explained. Geronimo swung it around, amazed at the ease wielding this one had, and noticed that the flame designs on the striking end lit up bright red every time he swung it.

"Hopefully this goes as planned," Geronimo said as he prepared to do a Comet Strike with this wrench. He crouched and threw it like a frisbee like last time. As he followed through, he saw the wrench move forward a good distance, then cruise right back into his hand. His face showed surprise, remembering the incident earlier. "Now this is the stuff I'm talking about. Thanks, Al."

"Also, you're going to need a communicator," Sasha said. She pulled out a vidcom and tossed it to Geronimo. "This one can't be traced or tapped like your last one was. It's been customized to call any member of the Q-Force with the touch of a button."

Geronimo got a good look on the vidcom. It was a sleek yellow color, with shiny red buttons on it. It was even better-looking than his last communicator.

"The next order of business is planning out our attack. You said the first planet that they were attacking is Aquatos?" Sasha asked. Geronimo nodded. "I can understand why. The Aquatos National Protection Force isn't going to stop such an aggressive fleet of soldiers. There's even less chance of that happening if there's a surprise attack on their forces. They might have a home field advantage, however, since at the surface of the planet, it's mostly water. There are cities and underwaters bases under the oceans, but, judging from your description of Lycanians, they might not know about that. They must be doing some espionage on the planets they plan to take over next, since they've only known Lycania. I need you two to investigate the city of Crystallus, the capital city of Aquatos, in two weeks. Your mission will be to find any Lycanians lurking the streets and eliminate them. I will inform the Galactic President of this predicament so that he will deploy some Galactic Rangers for assistance. Until this time, I'll need you two to be combat training, Geronimo especially."

"We accept, ma'am," Ratchet and Geronimo said in unison, saluting their leader like soldiers and standing in a militant manner. Sasha was charmed at their manner. The two exited the command center and made their way to the VR deck to continue.

"Wait, where the heck is Clank?" Geronimo asked. He hadn't seen him since they first went into the Phoenix. The sound of Clank's voice startled Geronimo.

"Right here. I was merely negotiating with the Director of my TV show. He pleaded with me to go to Holostar Studios for the start of the new season, even after I told him that this mission was of much urgency," Clank replied.

"Jeez, do you always have silent footsteps like that? Nearly gave me a heart attack," Geronimo said, exhaling deeply as he put his hand on his chest. Ratchet chuckled at his reaction.

The newly-made trio began their intensive training in preparation for the attack happening in a month. Through the constant taunts fro Helga and the hazardous obstacles, Geronimo thought he wouldn't make it through. However, he survived, and felt like he dropped ten pounds in one day. Never was he more relieved when he heard that training was over for the day. He ignored a disparaging comment about his physical shape from Helga as he walked out of the VR deck.

Later that evening, Geronimo was directed by Sasha to the guest quarters. It almost compared to Ratchet's in terms of features and sized. He had himself a VG-9000 with a large TV to go with it, and a queen-sized bed for him to rest on. There was also a large closet for him to put his armor when he slept, along with a few stock clothes for him to wear. There was a bathroom and shower installed in his quarters as well.

"Wow, this is a room and a half right here. I thank you for your hospitality, ma'am," Geronimo said.

"Well, you're becoming a soldier to fight against your own brother, with small odds of victory. We're training you until your bones ache The least we could do was this. And call me Sasha," the Cazarian captain said. "And welcome aboard." Geronimo grinned as Sasha exited his quarters. He took off his armor and took a shower, the warm water easing his aching muscles. before finally hitting the sack.

He lay in his bed, face up, resting his head on his hands. He couldn't sleep, since excitement filled his veins. He felt a sense of fulfillment and purpose that he never felt in all of his years in Lycania. He also felt a sense of camaraderie, a sense of brotherhood with these people boarding the Phoenix. He knew that nobody on the ship treated him in a certain way because of his money or royal bloodline. This was the sort of thing he always needed in his life. He just didn't know it until that point.


	4. Chapter 4

_We defending with the warrior Ratchet,_

_Brains and brawn, you can't simply attack this,_

_You're contending us? You're out of practice,_

_We take no prisoners, when it happens, that's it..._

Geronimo recited a few rap lines he concocted the previous night over an instrumental playing on his stereo as he did pull-ups in his quarters. The date was Sunday, September 18, 10:21 local time. The lines seemed to give Geronimo more power as he lifted himself up again and again. Plus, rapping distracted him from the fiery sensation that crept deeper into his muscles with every pull-up.

He couldn't lie, the training was doing him good. In just three days of training, he gained five pounds in muscle, bringing him up to 195 pounds. Every day, he got faster in his VR simulation records, gradually moving from one of the lowest-ranking people to moving in the top twenty. Geronimo just passed Skidd McMarx's record the previous day, much to Skidd's dismay.

As soon as he reached one hundred repetitions, he dropped from the pull-up bar and looked at himself in the mirror. A six-pack was just becoming visible on his furry stomach. His pectorals were becoming more toned. His calf muscles were looking much more intimidating, which was quite an achievement, since Lycanians were always born with impressive calf muscles, giving them a formidable jumping ability and the inability to injure after some long falls. His arms became more muscular, obviously, much to Geronimo's pleasure.

He couldn't help but flex and compliment himself in his newfound figure. Of course, he didn't let his increased strength get to his head like certain celebrities that were absent from the Phoenix *cough*Qwark*cough*, but he still could feel more empowered than his brother for a little while, couldn't he?

Ratchet walked in during all this, not knowing what to expect. He was about to tell Geronimo something, but saw him flexing as if he was a renowned bodybuilder. He rolled his eyes as he said, "You finished?"

Geronimo quickly turned around to find the Lombax staring at him with a cynical look on his face. "So, what's the plan for today? More intensive training in the VR deck? Hand-to-hand combat with the finest pugilists on board?"

"Eh, not really. Sasha has asked us to go through sniper training. She says that it's integral to the thwarting of Rafael's plan, so we may have some stealth missions to do."

Sniper training? Geronimo couldn't believe his ears. His time spent on the Phoenix was getting better every day. "All right! Show me what it does, pimp!"

"Believe me when I say this, 'pimp,' this might be the hardest thing you've ever done. Possessing a deadly weapon that can kill from a long range is not as easier as using analog sticks and pressing the R1 button. No, it takes skill, precision, and most of all, patience. Now, do you still feel confident in this endeavor?" Ratchet said somberly.

"Believe me when I say this, if I can survive just over twenty years of putting up with my brother, I feel that I can cope with this training."

"All right. Get yourself suited up, we're going to Annihilation Nation. They have a sector dedicated entirely for sniping. I've been there a couple times as part of my training. Since I'll be teaching you, you can use my Flux Rifle."

"Whoa, whoa, what? Annihilation Nation? Not for me. Remember? Rafael wants me dead, and if I'm on a television show, he will find me!" Geronimo said.

"I haven't forgotten about that. That's why you're going to put on your armor and this custom-made not-suspicious ski mask Al made minutes ago," Ratchet said, pulling out a black ski mask with a long snout on it.

"That's the epitome of trickery right there, man," Geronimo said, flatly. "Nobody will notice that."

"It's either this or the galaxy's liberty tearing asunder, while you witness everything and everyone you hold dear quickly immolated in a fiery inferno, with you being tortured beyond your wildest nightmares. Your choice," was all Ratchet said. He threw the ski mask at Geronimo and left his room.

The prince attired himself with his Magnaplate armor, armed himself with an N60 Storm by force of habit, and left with Ratchet and Clank to the station of Annihilation Nation. Led by the direction of the Lombax, and after making an official entry, with the prince using the pseudonym "Mr. Songbird," Geronimo moved to a very shady zone of the station. Of course, it was still televised, assured by the fact that Ratchet was present. However, nobody had seen anybody go in this sector for a decade. This was history in the making.

The area was a dank, shadowy marsh area with grey clouds that always hung over the trees. The sound of what sounded like crickets and cicadas chirping in the humid, swampy air carried a depressed tone throughout the woods. The water was sluggish in passing through the environment, and a hot breeze cruised along the landscape.

The Lombax, the Lycanian and the robot traveled through an unavoidable wetland, Ratchet careful to not let Clank be immersed in the thick water below. When they reached a dry clearing, Ratchet handed Geronimo his Flux Rifle to begin his training. Ratchet explained the strategies and tips for aiming, holding the weapon, and keeping the rifle steady. After about thirty minutes of instruction, Geronimo was ready for his first shot.

Geronimo brought up the Flux Rifle and aimed down his scope. He zoomed in to find an insect-winged armadillo-like creature with red, slimy snake scales on its shell. There was an orange spiked tail extending from the rear of the specimen. These creatures had eyes that were slits, similar to a reptile's. The creature also had a forked tongue that picked up scents from fair distances. They were deaf, but they more than made up for it in smelling.

The challenge was affectionately called "The Shelled-Viper Sniper," where Geronimo was required to kill all ten of these creatures without getting hit once. It was said that these Shelled Vipers could detect assailants quite easily and made sure that there were no survivors. Whether it was by biting or projecting a venomous fluid from its mouth to dispose of enemies was a mystery, and Geronimo wanted to keep it that way.

"All right, now kill all ten of these Shelled-Vipers with one shot. Obviously, a shot to the head is the best and quickest way to terminate any organic life form. Remember, focus, and inhale right before you shoot," said Ratchet. Geronimo went to the edge of the clearing, hiding behind two bushes, and knelt down to inspect the faraway specimens. He found two of them staring at each other, giving him an opportunity for a quick two kills.

"Perfect," Geronimo said. He inhaled and pulled the trigger twice.

_BLAM! BLAM!_

Both of the Shelled-Vipers fell over into a small puddle beside them, causing mild ripples in the water. Geronimo smirked as he looked for more targets.

He sniped seven more of the Shelled-Vipers without any problem. Ratchet was impressed at how well he could wield a rifle. The prince didn't say anything about having prior sniper training. Maybe there were more to Lycanians than the Lombax realized.

Geronimo aimed for the last Shelled-Viper, putting the crosshair right on one of the creature's eye slits. He inhaled and put his finger on the trigger and fired...

"ACHOO!" Ratchet sneezed, startling Geronimo and causing him to miss his shot. The bullet darted inches away from the Shelled-Viper. The creature noticed it and found the bullet trail leading to Geronimo. The viper hissed and started flying towards Geronimo, disappearing mid-flight.

Geronimo's eyes widened as he saw this anomaly occur. "What just happened?" he asked. Something was going off in Clank's internal processors.

"Ratchet, Geronimo, my scanners indicate-" Clank began, before being nudged by Ratchet. "Shh, he'll find out soon..." he said, pulling out a wrench just in case the unlikely happened. Meanwhile, Geronimo stood up and looked around cautiously, rifle at hand, prepared for any attack for the viper to appear at any given moment. His heart raced as he strained his smelling and hearing senses for any sign of danger. He turned 360 degrees without finding anything. Then, his left ear twitched and pointed behind him. The sound of fluttering wings became suddenly loud. He could sense the presence of the viper approaching him...

_zzzzZZZZZZZ!_

Geronimo jolted to his left, equipped his wrench, and swung vertically, sending a now-visible and blazing Shelled-Viper spiraling down to the ground. When the wrench impacted it, the viper sent out an earsplitting screech as its fleshed quickly burned away. It didn't feel anything after a few seconds. What was amazing was the fact that even as the fiery reptile/mammal hit the ground, the ground didn't catch fire. The prince felt that that sort of thing was a useful feature.

Geronimo crouched over the ashy corpse and wagged his index finger at it. "No, no, no, not today!" he laughed, glad to have survived the attack. His expression quickly turned from relieved to annoyed. "Why didn't you tell me that these things turned invisible?"

Ratchet smirked. "You didn't ask."

An even more annoyed look was pasted on Geronimo's face as he facepalmed. "Of course, as it's my first assumption that wild animals can turn invisible and fly at the speed of sound, which would give them a better chance of eating me."

"I tried to tell you, Geronimo, but I was so rudely interrupted by him," Clank pointed out, giving a playful glare at the Lombax. Ratchet chuckled and shrugged.

"Expect the unexpected. That's all I can say to defend myself..." Ratchet concluded, throwing his hands up in submission.

. . .

"Move faster! What do you think this is, some sort of powder puff game?!" a sergeant yelled to his soldiers. Many Lycanians were attired in blue and black uniforms, sporting the Tregsen Royalty logo near the waist of the black cargo pants and on the chest of the blue camouflage shirt. The soldiers were jogging on a twenty-mile dirt trail, with the general leading the pack. They were halfway through the trail, and the general hadn't even broken a sweat. For his soldiers, however, it wasn't quite as simple.

Other sections of the Tregsenian army trained in strenuous activities, such as crawling for miles on end, doing an infinite amount of pull-ups, and urban warfare combat simulations. All of this was taking place not too far from the palace. Given the proximity of the two locations, the palace and the army base, a certain person of royalty had comfortably made his excursion from one place to another to examine his soldiers.

Rafael reached the front gate of the base, eyeing the two guards guarding it. Seeing their king dressed in a blue and gold tuxedo, the two guards saluted their king and immediately opened the gate for Rafael. The king strutted in and waved at all the soldiers that verbally acknowledged his presence.

He made his way through the various areas of the base and made his way to the command center. Again, he immediately was granted entry because of his regality, and then he made his way towards the general of the Tregsenian army, General Igliaso. A gruff, sharp-tongued, aggressive and battle-hardened veteran that was still in his prime, Igliaso had fought many battles against neighboring countries in Lycania. In all honesty, he never really much cared for the safety of Tregsen's populace. No, he knew that being a general had benefits that severely outweighed the drawbacks, one of which being the pay, so he figured, "Why not?"

Igliaso was a red-orange colored wolf with a grey chest/belly area, grey eyes, and grey paws, almost resembling a fox. Jokes had spread between the soldiers about his appearance, much to his rage. Anybody who even said the word "fox" in front of him were told to run fifty laps around the base, and that was if Igliaso was in a good mood.

The general was writing a letter to a potential soldiers when he noticed his king enter the room. He looked up and found Rafael, and immediately stood up and saluted him. Rafael reciprocated with a salute of his own and an arrogant smile.

"Hello, my king," Igliaso stated.

"At ease, general. I've come to do some business."

Igliaso's eyes widened as he heard the word "business." It meant a potential opportunity for a bonus. "Business, eh? What kind? Spec ops mission? Espionage? Full frontal assault?"

"A little of the last one, I believe. First of all, I have made an agreement with the other kings inside Lycania. We will be working with all of Lycania's militaries for this mission. We're going to capture all of the planets of the Solana Galaxy by force. With this, we will be in control of all monetary transactions in the galaxy, introduce the monarchy to it, and be in control of everything. I'm sure that you would be interested in an operation such as this?"

Igliaso didn't care who he had to kill or how many people he had to kill as long as he got his bonus. "Will I get a bonus upon completion?"

"Of course. Fifty thousand bolts, plus an extra ten thousand in advance upon acceptance. Do we have a deal?"

"You can bet your tail we got a deal! Thank you, my liege! Best of wishes to you and your family!" Igliaso kissed up to the king at the news as he shook his hand with a smile. Again, Igliaso's main goal was to get bolts, no matter how it was obtained.

When Igliaso mentioned Rafael's family, the king was reminded of the new threat that was occurring to his plan. "Yes, that brings me to another subject. Do you know my brother, Geronimo?"

"I've seen him a couple of times, most recently on HV a few days ago." Rafael inhaled deeply in rage, but said no words. "But that speech, though..." Igliaso laughed as he recalled the televised slander-speech on live holovision.

"Well, at least it's good that you know how he looks like. He is our number-one priority. He escaped via star cruiser on September 14, at approximately 23:50 hours. We have reason to believe that he is requesting the assistance of the Lombax named Ratchet and his toaster-like robotic companion known as Clank-"

"Secret Agent Clank? And his stupid chauffeur? Ha! This'll be easy, yet look really good on my resume..." Igliaso commented.

"Focus! Anyway, Ratchet and Clank are now probably helping my insolent, foolish brother. What they might be doing at this moment is a crapshoot at this point. But, if you have your men kill them within the first week of our operation, then you'll get an even more substantial raise," Rafael concluded. The king could almost see the general's pupils turn into dollar signs in a cartoony fashion. He knew that the general was only in it for the money, but he knew how people worked. If they had a deep love for money, they would go to extreme lengths to achieve it. "Train your people harder than before, Igliaso. And, there are even more rules for you to follow. If your soldiers hear anybody speaking against this operation, have them tried as a conspirator. If anybody quits out of this operation, kill them."

"Will do, my liege," Igliaso replied without hesitation.

The king nodded in approval as he turned around to walk out of the command center. That was one item of business down. At this point, he wanted to see his soldiers trained beyond their limits to see how well-prepared they would be for the attack. He walked to the nearest training yard and witnessed the rigorous training of his soldiers, staring in malice as he saw the soldiers gradually becoming stronger, faster, and more coordinated.

_Watch your six, "dear brother," because I'm not pulling any punches for you or your new boyfriend, _Rafael thought, laughing maniacally at the thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Geronimo stalked on the grid floor, expectant of an attack. He still could feel intense heat on his N60 Storm from previous firefights. His Magnaplate armor shined from the lights overhead. Cautiousness was laced into every step, heel touching the ground first, then the toe slowly descending. Geronimo gritted his teeth in anxiety.

A number switched in his helmet's HUD from "2" to "3." He was in the third and final round in an arena challenge inside the VR deck. Killer robots appeared in front of him, all slightly resembling Lycanians. Geronimo pulled up his weapon and fired without hesitation. Eighteen shots flew toward the robots, destroying all but five robots.

_CLICK! CLICK!_

"Crap! Have to go flipmode on 'em," Geronimo exclaimed. He flip-jumped and switched to his Plasma Whip in the same motion, barely avoiding slow-moving lasers from the robots. When he landed, he dashed toward the cluster of contenders, the blue whip flailing back and forth as he ran. Geronimo jumped up ten feet above a robot's head and swung down. The whip hit the robot's head, the heat frying its cranial CPU.

The four remaining robots surrounded Geronimo, prepared to fire their lasers at the prince. Geronimo noticed that he had just enough ammo left in his whip for him to throw it at somebody. He tossed his whip at two robots, the weapon splitting the robots in half. When he caught the whip again, he saw himself sandwiched between the two last robots. He saw one of them charging up its laser. At the last second, Geronimo backflipped over the robot behind him, causing the first robot to shoot the second bot. The prince landed behind an electrically overridden android and swung his wrench, hitting its torso. The robot shattered into little pieces of flaming metal.

The first robot prepared to shoot his laser again. Geronimo was twenty feet away from it, so running toward it head-on would have been suicide. Then, he thought, _Flipmode,_ and charged it. The robot shot its laser to try to finish him off. Geronimo fell and used his momentum to slide on his back. He felt the heat of the laser on his chest as he slid.

When the robot's laser disappeared, Geronimo jumped up and lifted his wrench over his head. As he landed, he forcefully swung the wrench downward, greatly damaging the robot's head. The prince brought his wrench back in front of his chest and swung horizontally, hitting the robot's legs. The robot was destroyed in a matter of milliseconds.

"Nice work, Geronimo. Your combat skills have improved exponentially since you first came here two weeks ago," Sasha announced through the VR deck's P.A. system. Geronimo instantly transported back to the entrance of the VR deck. He was greeted by applause from a few members of the Q-Force and a cynical look from Helga as she crossed her arms.

"Wow, dude, you completed those three rounds within a minute!" Skidd McMarx reported. "That's almost as good as Ratchet!"

"Really?" Geronimo said. He looked over to a screen next to the VR entrance. Sure enough, he saw his time on it. It took him 49.5 seconds to complete the challenge. In fact, he reached third place in the leaderboards for that challenge, trailing only Ratchet and Qwark, and just topping Sasha. "Wow."

"Don't let this get to your head, now. This was only a simulation, not even close to the real thing. You may be unqualified for real combat and not even know it. You better not screw this thing up for us, Geronimo..." Ratchet said. The Lombax's face exhibited a solemn countenance. Geronimo stared at him with a serious face until he finally detected the facetiousness of Ratchet's statements. Both the Lombax and the Lycanian snickered.

"He's right on something, though. That was nothing near real life combat. Since we just heard of Lycania two weeks ago, we have no idea how they fight, how they think, or how they strategize in the battlefield. The only impression we got from your race is you, Geronimo. However, with the mission scheduled today in Crystallus, I believe we can change that a little. I think you're ready," Sasha explained.

"What? Today?" Geronimo asked, alarmed. His eyes widened when he realized what the day was. The date was September 29. It was on the fifteenth when Sasha gave the plan to do reconnaissance on Lycanians in Aquatos. She said she would give Geronimo and Ratchet two weeks to train before doing anything about the takeover.

"Yes, today. I've already deployed a few Galactic Rangers to aid you in case things get a little...hairy, with the Lycanians." Sasha couldn't help but grin at her little pun. "And a few minutes ago, I reported that you were on your way. Now, you wouldn't want to make me a liar, would you, boys?"

Ratchet was quick to respond. "Certainly not."

"Well, you are a politician. I highly doubt you'd be above deception once in a while," said Geronimo. He snickered as he turned around to walk to a Gadgetron vendor, when he heard, "Ah, wait a minute," from Sasha. He turned toward her.

"This is supposed to be a covert operation, and you two wearing armor is likely to raise suspicion. So, I had Al make you holo-guises that would hide your armor and instead show casual clothes. Al?" Sasha said.

Al reached for his back pocket and threw two holo-guises at the two warriors. Both Ratchet and Geronimo caught them. "I designed it by using the outfits you wore when you came here two weeks ago," Al said.

"So, to use it, you just press this button?" Geronimo asked.

"Yep," Ratchet said. Geronimo promptly pushed the button. He didn't feel any different, which was good, he guessed. However, everybody started laughing soon after.

"What?" Geronimo asked. If there was one thing he didn't like, it was being laughed at for no reason.

"I thought one Ratchet was enough, but two of them?" Skidd said.

Geronimo looked at himself and found golden fur, brown gloves on his hands, and a black backpack used for carrying Clank. He ran to the nearest window to look at a faded reflection of himself. He couldn't believe it. He looked exactly like Ratchet! Geronimo turned around to get the other holo-guise.

"This is flipmode, huh?" Ratchet commented before Geronimo snatched his holo-guise and traded with the one Geronimo had. Cautiously, the prince pressed the button on the new one. He then saw himself in his black T-shirt with red lines and red warmups.

"Yeah, that's more like it. If there's anybody I wouldn't ever want to be, besides Rafael, it's you, Ratchet," Geronimo said.

"That feeling's mutual, pal," Ratchet replied.

"Remember, Geronimo, this has no effect on your armor. You'll still be protected by it. Now, go save the galaxy, and whatnot," Al concluded.

Ratchet, Clank, and Geronimo jumped into the Dark Courier and zoomed for Aquatos.

. . .

The water planet was visible to the passengers after a while, and Geronimo prepared to land. Only, there was one problem. How in the world was he going to land this thing IN WATER?

Then, he received a call. It was from an unknown ID. Geronimo answered it and found a green, glasses-wearing male fish-like creature on his ship's holoscreen.

"Stop right there, young-Do my eyes deceive me?" the fish asked after seeing Geronimo. "Y-y-you're a w-w-"

"Yes, I am a wolf, but I prefer the term Lycanian, thank you," Geronimo replied.

"But that's impossible! Wolves aren't supposed to exist!"

Slightly annoyed, Geronimo explained, "You know something else impossible? A fish living out of water. We're both living anomalies. Anyway, what did you call me for?"

The fish tried shaking off his look of disbelief as he continued, "We need to know your business in coming here. We don't want anybody affiliated with Nefarious to come close to our planet."

"Are you blind? Can you not see Ratchet sitting beside me? This is some official, legitimate save-the-galaxy type operation we're running."

"Oh, Ratchet? Huh, don't know why I didn't see you there. You must be for that little thing that the Captain called for. By all means, come to us so that we can discuss strategy." The screen went black.

"We don't even know who this guy is. Do you think we should meet this fella?" Geronimo asked.

"Relax, he's Mr. Crawford, the governor of Aquatos. I met him at one time after I cleared the area of sewer monsters," Ratchet explained.

"I see. Now, the first thing is, where do we land? We need to go to the city of Crystallus, which is in the top hemisphere of the planet, according to my tracking system. It would have been helpful if Mister Wolfophobe gave us coordinates. Clank?" Geronimo turned to the robot.

"My scanners indicate a gate for visitors to enter in these coordinates..."

Clank gave the coordinates, allowing Geronimo to find the gate immediately. The Dark Courier was stopped for a brief moment by somebody manning the gate. As soon as they saw Ratchet, they allowed access.

The Dark Courier traveled through underwater cities until Geronimo found Crystallus. He parked the ship in a secluded alleyway and jumped out, with Ratchet and Clank following closely behind.

"All right, first we need to go to the capital building to talk to Mr. Crawford. Clank, got the coordinates?" Ratchet asked.

"I do. Uploading them to your nav unit now."

The group traveled to the capital building in a few minutes. Geronimo caught a glimpse of the city. There were spacious buildings everywhere, and all of them were made of a shiny white rock. Even many of the vehicles' exteriors were made of the same substance.

"So, what do you know about Crystallus?" Geronimo asked.

"Well, I know that for the longest time, they've been mining crystals, which is how they got all the shiny white rocks and used them to build the infrastructure. Originally, people sold it in small quantities, you know, for jewelry and the like. Then, it turned out that the city had an overabundance of these crystals, so they started making virtually everything out of it. I'd even wager that we're walking on it right now,"

Ratchet said.

Geronimo looked down. Sure enough, he walked on the same material the buildings were made of.

"Know anything about this Mr. Crawford guy?"

"I only talked to him once, so I couldn't really tell you how he was. He seemed all right when I first met him, just a little on the nervous side of things. Let me be clear, I've really only talked to him for a maximum of, like, thirty minutes." Ratchet replied. They reached the doorway guarded by armed sentinels. Both sentinels were fish-like beings living out of water, which still made no sense to either Geronimo or Ratchet.

"Hold up, Ratchet. Is he with you?" one of the sentinels asked, pointing a fin at the Lycanian.

"Yeah, he is," Ratchet quickly answered.

"Hey, he looks like one of those guys that came in earlier who said that they wanted to enlist in government security," the other sentinel commented. Geronimo's eyes widened.

"They looked like me?" Geronimo repeated.

"Yeah. They looked pretty strong, too. Hopefully they will be considered by our chief of security."

"CRAP!" Ratchet and Geronimo said before bursting into the building, Clank attaching himself to Ratchet's back in the process. Confused by this, the sentinels just shrugged at each other.

"Hey, the security workforce is pretty competitive nowadays," one of them said.

The two organic warriors raced through the hallways, desperate to find any Lycanians inside. _Knowing Rafael,_ Geronimo thought, _he'd probably send his soldiers to the governor to "negotiate" things with the governor. _It wasn't long before they were just outside the governor's office, dead fish bodies covered in blood and littering the floors of the halls. For all Geronimo and Ratchet knew, the two guards outside were the governor's only live ones left.

The only good thing about the piles of carcasses and the pools of blood was that it provided directions toward the intruding Lycanians. Geronimo and Ratchet pulled out their weapons, both of them opting for N60 Storms. What they predicted was that Mr. Crawford was held hostage in a small room. The Storms were perfect for close-range situations that still called for somewhat precise aiming.

The two needed to go up to the thirtieth floor to go to the governor's office. When they went up, Ratchet and Geronimo put their ears to the door and listened in on the conversation that took place inside the room.

"Why did you come to me?" The voice was Mr. Crawford's.

"Sorry, mister, it's nothing personal. I'm just following government orders," a stranger said.

"And your government orders are to kick the crap out of me and simply request that I swear allegiance to your leader? I've never seen anybody like you guys! What exactly is your leader doing?" Crawford asked.

"That's not important. Just as long as you cooperate with us, then you will most likely live through all of this. Now, will you come with us? Or will we have to force you to come with us?" another voice offered. Geronimo heard a slight sob from Crawford's voice. Not wanting to hear any more of it, he began thinking of a plan.

"How will we do this?" Geronimo wondered aloud. "We need to save this Crawford guy, but how? I can sense at least four Lycanians just inside."

"What? Only that many? Psh, watch and learn, rookie," Ratchet replied. He took a few steps back and equipped his Nitro Launcher. "You may want to move away from the point of impact."

Geronimo immediately understood and moved to Ratchet's distance from the door. Ratchet then deployed a bomb, the detonation big enough to demolish the thin wooden door and part of the walls that surrounded it. The knockback was enough to disorient the Lycanians inside the room, giving Geronimo ample time to shoot three of them down.

However, Geronimo's hunch was correct. There HAD been four Lycanians inside the room. But, when Ratchet blew up the door, the lucky escaper flew out through the window via jetpack.

There was another key detail missing. The governor was gone!

"Crap, did we blow him up?" Geronimo asked, looking frantically for the body of the governor. All he found were the charred and bloodied carcasses of his fellow Lycanians.

"I don't think-wait, there he is!" Ratchet observed, pointing a finger through the hole in the window. Slowly moving away from him was a flying figure with a furry tail and familiar-looking fins. The escaper carried Mr. Crawford through the skies! "I'm going after him!"

"What, are you crazy? Last I checked, Lombaxes don't have wings!" Geronimo answered.

"I got Clank and a Hypershot. I'll be fine. Here, take this, just in case things get nasty," Ratchet said, tossing Geronimo his Flux Rifle. He turned back around and studied the environment in front of him. The flying escaper still flew away from him, slowly moving and still holding Mr. Crawford up at two hundred feet in elevation. Large blimps traveled horizontally relative to Ratchet's position. They were higher above ground than the top floor of the government building. Ratchet found small yellow rotating spheres at the bottom of the blimps.

"Just as I predicted. Watch for the guy carrying Crawford," Ratchet concluded before jumping off the edge. When he started to fall, he equipped his Hypershot and shot a beam to one of the versa-targets. He swung from the building to closer toward the escaper. He found a second versa-target and swung again. This time, the escaper turned around and shot three bombs from a Nitro Launcher. Ratchet moved left and right as he swung on the one versa-target. He survived the volley unscathed, even though the bombs exploded close to him.

Ratchet swung on another versa-target before he found the escaper landing on a skyscraper in front of him. When the Lombax reached the peak of his swing, he disabled his Hypershot. "Clank!" he said. The miniature robot understood and activated his thruster pack, enabling Ratchet to glide slowly to the same skyscraper the opposing Lycanian did.

Meanwhile, Geronimo held the Flux Rifle in front of him, watching the escaping Lycanian's every move. The prince needed to wait for the opportune time to strike, since the fugitive still held Mr. Crawford while flying in the air. His ear twitched and pointed behind as he kept an eye on the fugitive. Geronimo turned around to find two surviving Lycanians approaching him. Both of them had Shock Blasters, and one of them was ready to fire. In a quick reaction, Geronimo flip-jumped, switched from the Flux Rifle to the N60 Storm, and shot at the two wolves as he landed. Seven heated bullets assaulted one wolf's face and chest, while nine more hit the other wolf's legs and torso. Both wolves groaned in pain as they fell to the ground.

When he made sure they were incapacitated, Geronimo twirled his Storm around his finger, stopped it, and blew the smoke off the barrel of his gun. "What you know 'bout that flipmode, playboys?" he taunted.

"Geronimo! I might need some help over here!" he heard on his communicator. It was Ratchet's voice. Geronimo quickly turned his head toward the skyscraper. He equipped the Flux Rifle again to get a better perspective on the situation.

Ratchet and the fugitive towered over the low-riding vehicles in the sky. The Lombax stood thirty feet away from the fugitive, who stood right at the edge of the flat roof of the building. The fugitive wolf held Mr. Crawford in a headlock and faced Ratchet. He held a Shock Blaster to Mr. Crawford's face. Aquatos' governor sweat bullets as he predicted his demise then.

"Ha, calling for help? You've never changed, Lombax. Look at you, the big hero, the one that adolescent females write fanfiction shipping themselves with and the one every adolescent boy wants to be like, calling for help. What are you going to do if you DON'T get the help you so desperately need?" the fugitive taunted. Mr. Crawford struggled to free himself from the villain's grip. The attempts were futile, as the Lycanian tightened his grip on him. The governor's face turned blue from asphyxiation.

"Hey, it's because of help that I got this far," Ratchet answered, his face showing slight offense, yet more resolve. The fugitive pointed the gun at Ratchet next, eager to pull the trigger and splatter the Lombax's brains all over the roof.

"And now, your little legacy ends here-" the Lycanian was interrupted when a high-velocity bullet penetrated his skull. His face and muscles went limp, causing him and Mr. Crawford to fall off the edge of the large skyscraper. Ratchet yelped in consternation and snapped in an annoyed manner, "Dang it, Geronimo, at least wait for my orders before shooting!"

"Yeah, and if I waited longer, he certainly wouldn't have pulled _his_ trigger, right? Quit yelling at me and save Crawford!" Geronimo flared. He heard more Lycanians coming down the hallway, so he equipped the Storm again and took cover beside the doorway.

Ratchet dashed and jumped off the same edge Crawford fell off of. He was a clear ten feet away from Crawford in elevation, but he closed in fast. Ratchet was just about to catch Crawford safely, until...

_SPLAT!_ The governor landed right on top of an airborne bus. Ratchet extended his arm in an attempt to grab onto the edge. When the bus was just out of his reach, Ratchet felt his skin tighten and his heart skip a beat in quick despair. He kept falling until he found another versa-target under the same bus Crawford was on. Briskly, he equipped his Hypershot and shot the tether at the spherical target. The shot connected, and the Lombax felt his body swing from the air to the top of the bus. He landed on top of the bus, finding Crawford balled up in fetal position, cursing in fear and the knowledge of being hundreds of feet in the air.

"Mr. Crawford! You're gonna have to jump!" Ratchet announced. Crawford turned his body to see Ratchet, bewildered as to how Ratchet could have made it there.

"Are you crazy? I would like to LIVE, thank you very much!" the governor replied.

"Trust me! Just hold on!" the Lombax concluded. He picked Crawford up by the torso and jumped off the bus. The three were freefalling through the air, Ratchet careful not to hit any traffic that came their way. Crawford belted out screams of terror as wind hit his face in a rapid pace.

The streets on the ground became dangerously close to the freefallers, indicating they were at least one hundred feet from the ground. Ratchet let them get a little closer before calling, "Clank!" Clank activated his thruster pack, causing all of them to slowly and safely glide downward.

The citizens of Aquatos noticed a curious-looking object descending from the sky. After hearing howls of horror, they observed it was the voice of the governor along with Ratchet and Clank. A crowd of citizens circled around Ratchet's landing zone and applauded as Ratchet touched down. Crawford still shuddered from his harrowing experiences in flight.

"Mr. Crawford? You can let go of me now," Ratchet stated. Crawford slowly released his grip from the Lombax as the two guards Ratchet met at the government building pushed through the crowd and surrounded him.

As if on cue, Darla Gratch appeared while facing a camera, giving a live report on Channel 64. "The 'Bax is back and saves the day once again! Sources say that Ratchet and Clank have saved Aquatos' governor, Carlos Crawford, from a terrorist attack that occurred in the planet house not too long ago. Ratchet, Clank, how did you...Ratchet?" The reporter was about to have an interview with the Lombax, but the 'Bax and the bot bolted off toward the planet house to give aid to Geronimo in any way possible.

. . .

"Yeah, and if I waited longer, he certainly wouldn't have pulled _his_ trigger, right? Quit yelling at me and save Crawford!" Geronimo flared. He heard more Lycanians coming down the hallway, so he equipped the Storm again and took cover beside the doorway. He anticipated enemies to start shooting his direction. However, all he saw was a small, bright canister-like object at his feet. A millisecond later, he was blinded by the flash grenade. All he saw was white, and all he heard was a ringing noise. In his blindness, he exposed his Storm and blindfired at the opposing Lycanians. Luckily, he hit most of the Lycanians in the hallway when he did this.

Geronimo slumped over in visual agony, holding his head. All he could do was wait for the pain and the ringing to cease. After a few seconds, his vision returned, and his hearing soon followed. He turned to look at the hallway to make sure it was clear. He was met with an unexpected Shock Blaster pellet in his shoulder. There was still one more Lycanian trying to kill Geronimo, bloodied up and wounded from the barrage of bullets Geronimo sent out. The shot came from a female Lycanian, wearing red and black armor, redder with the blood of some of the guards. She was a white wolf with blue eyes and scars over both eyes and one over the left side of her snout.

It was a good thing Geronimo had his armor on, otherwise he probably would have died on the spot. Even so, the pain was excruciating to his shoulder. Geronimo then equipped his OmniWrench to swing at his enemy. However, she caught the wrench and threw it away from them. She balled up her right fist and punched Geronimo on the side of his snout, causing him to be knocked backward. The male Lycanian regained composure just in time to grab the Shock Blaster and tilted it to its side. Both Lycanians struggled to gain control of the shotgun, but they were equally matched. Geronimo then turned his body 180 degrees, his back touching the female's torso. He lifted his left elbow and struck her in the face with it. With a grunt of pain, she dropped the Shock Blaster, and Geronimo kicked it out of the premises. He got into a defensive position, legs spread out, torso turned to his right, left arm in front, right arm in the back, and said, "Let's go!"

The female Lycanian made no hesitation to make her next attack. She swung her left leg around for a roundhouse kick. Geronimo ducked under her leg and kicked her other leg, causing her to lose balance. She fell over facefirst, and Geronimo lifted his foot to stomp on her head. She barrel-rolled out of the way and caught his leg, throwing him off balance. Geronimo fell backward, hitting Crawford's wooden desk in the process. Still clutching his leg, the female Lycanian flipped up and landed on top of Geronimo, sitting on his torso, body facing his legs. Then she held both of his legs in an immobilizing position. It felt as though his legs were shaped like pretzels, and it was agonizing to Geronimo's leg bones.

It was hard for Geronimo to breathe since he had a 150 pound wolf sitting on his torso. He could barely move as well. However, this assassin made one huge mistake in leaving his arms free. The assassin turned her head with a bloodthirsty expression on her face and lifted her left hand. Geronimo knew that she would try to use her claws to kill him off. He knew how Lycanian assassination arts worked. When she swung her hand toward his face, Geronimo caught her arm and straightened it to lock it. This caused her to sway a little to her left side, causing both of them to fall off of the desk. Geronimo moved his hand toward her left shoulder and pushed her sideward. This time, Geronimo was on top of her, sitting on her chest, facing her head, and armed with a face of grit and resolve. He released a flurry of jabs, alternating between his left and right fists, every punch possessing more force than the last.

Geronimo didn't even stop when her face started bleeding. She was completely defenseless, unable to defend herself against the barrage of bops. In fact, the only thing that did stop him from punching was when her body was motionless. Geronimo stared at her lifeless face, shoulders moving up and down in heavy breathing, arms trembling from strain. Blood covered his fists, the crimson liquid trickling down his knuckles.

He put two fingers on her neck and wrists. There was no pulse.

Geronimo stood up, still insufflating in large puffs of oxygen. He bent over and put his hands on his knees, saying, "Man, she's not gonna be in Chapter 6."

It was at that time where the elevator door opened. Geronimo snapped out of his exhaustion and equipped his Shock Blaster. To his surprise, Ratchet pointed a gun at him. The Lombax was about to fire until he realized that it was Geronimo and not some other Lycanian. When both of them realized that they were friendlies, they eased their weapons.

Noticing the blood on his hands, Ratchet leaned to his side to look at the body lying in a supine position. "Uh, what happened?" he inquired, curious.

"I got into a serious thumb war with this person. She just fainted from the intense battle," Geronimo joshed. He felt that it was obvious as to what had happened. The Lycanian's ear twitched. He could hear medical authorities entering the planet house, attempting to tend to any potential survivors of the attack. To not raise suspicion, Geronimo grabbed some napkins to wipe off the blood on his hands. After throwing the napkins away, Geronimo went into the elevator and went downward with Ratchet and Clank.

"Man, and all that was a PRELIMINARY attack on a government. I can only imagine how bad a full frontal assault would be," Ratchet commented.

"Yeah. Now you see why I was in a rush to talk to you whenever I found out. We Lycanians go ham whenever we have something to fight about. The reason why Rafael didn't send more is that he's still training them. Two weeks from now, there's gonna be another attack. For all we know, Rafael or some other king might send more soldiers to another planet simultaneously. He must have enough soldiers in order to do that sort of thing," Geronimo answered. "Wait, where were the Galactic Rangers during all of this? Weren't they supposed to help us?" he asked.

The elevator door opened, exposing a group of Galactic Rangers, their guns trained at different objects. The Ranger closest to Ratchet saw him and saluted him. "Hello, Sarge." The rest of the Rangers in the vicinity soon followed.

"At ease, soldiers," Ratchet said as he exited the elevator.

"At ease seems too much like it. When did you guys get here?" Geronimo asked, his arms akimbo in annoyance.

Some robots put their "hands" on their "necks" in embarrassment. Others looked at their fake wristwatches to avoid visual contact with the Lycanian, mainly because, he had every right to be angry.

"We, uh, just got here, sergeant," one robot finally said.

"And where were you guys prior to now?" Geronimo asked again.

"Well, um, we just strategically hung back, to see if you needed any help. You didn't earlier, so we didn't think we were needed," another robot admitted. Geronimo lifted his arms over his head, his fingers bent in a clawed manner. "Strategically hanging back, these nuts. Ratchet, is this how they always act?"

"Nah, they are usually willing to help war efforts, but only with me around. Now that you say it, I'm a bit disappointed, too," Ratchet responded. "Your help really would have been appreciated, guys. Especially the sniper squad. When I was on that rooftop, Geronimo sniped the guy that caused trouble-"

"Hey, nice shooting, pal!" one Ranger praised.

"-That caused trouble to us. He didn't wait for me to call the shot. I need more snipers that are patient and willing enough to take orders. Which leads me to my next subject. Geronimo, whenever somebody is being held hostage, you don't just shoot them on the spot. You await for my orders, or the orders of somebody higher than me in government authority. You could have accidentally hit Crawford in the process!" Ratchet reprimanded.

"Yeah, but that headshot, though," was Geronimo's reply. A few of the Galactic Rangers laughed.

Sasha came onto Geronimo's communicator.

"Hello, boys. I assume that the deed is done?" Sasha asked.

"Yep, if there are more Lycanians on this planet, they're probably running away from this planet to call in reinforcements. All Lycania sent were just some special ops troops," Geronimo said.

"Great job. Now, as you were busy doing the fighting, I got traces of communications from some Lycanian ships. Al was able to decode it for you, Geronimo." The Lycanian leaned his ear next to the communicator to listen to the garbled audio message.

"Holy crap man, that Lombax ain't no joke. Everybody else died in that building. It's a good thing the two of us survived. Heck, I can't wait to do some hacking in Marcadia in a few weeks. Also glad I don't have to do much fighting. Just kill the guards inside and let my computer skills do the rest. I'm getting a bunch of bolts just for hacking into a security system's mainframe and watching the fireworks happen! Ha!"

"What?! They're going to Marcadia next?" Ratchet said.

"Makes sense, since the Galactic...President...lives there..." Geronimo knew the seriousness of the situation. It would take a lot of guys just to get past the Galactic President's defenses, but still possible. And if they got to the President, Rafael would overthrow the president and become king of the Galaxy! But first, the dictator needed to control some of the smaller planets to help him with his galactic domination plan. Some of the planets such as Pokitaru and Daxx would be easily controlled, since they barely had anybody to defend it. It'd be easier to have different sections of the armies to use different planet's resources all at once, and gradually spread from one planet to another.

"Come back to the Phoenix so we can talk strategy. Sasha out," the Cazar concluded. The communicator screen went to black.

"So, you just beat the crap out of that girl in the office?" Ratchet asked.

"Eeyup. I never would have thought that I would have ever killed somebody with my bare hands. It was quite a shame, too. She was pretty," Geronimo said.

"Well, we had at least one instance where we had to 'dispose' of a disposable pop star, even though she survived," Clank said, doing his signature laugh. Ratchet remembered his fight with Courtney Gears and chuckled.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

In my train of thought, since there is a Galactic President, a president of the galaxy, I figured that planets would be states, so every planet would have a governor. Therefore, a planet house=statehouse. So, yeah.

I got this sudden urge to continue writing in this fanfic a few days ago, so I figured, "Why not?" And this is the result. We get more into the action part of things. However, I still wonder how to develop the Ratchet x Sasha aspect I tried to put in. I guess, since this fanfiction mostly focuses on Geronimo, I may not have to develop things too much there. I don't know.


End file.
